András Simonyi
Dear Friends,
It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of a new portion of our LGBT Rights project, Equality Blog.
LGBT rights have become a hot topic, not least because of Russian anti-propaganda laws that preceded the Sochi Olympics. These laws sparked international concern for the back-sliding of democratic values, and have raised the alarm for the protection of democratic rights in general. Central to these rights are LGBT issues. The way we act or don’t act to ensure the safety, security, and livelihood of LGBT community members around the world – many of whom put their lives in danger simply by being who they are – speaks volumes about our commitment to defending the rights of vulnerable groups.
The Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University deals with grand strategic issues of security, economy and human rights on a daily basis. LGBT rights are the cutting edge of human rights and based on our commitments to human dignity and freedom, we embrace the issue as part of geo-strategic thinking.
This blog aims to facilitate the conversation surrounding this key area. I look forward to our continued dialog and welcome your submissions to the conversation surrounding LGBT rights on the international stage.
Best Regards,
Ambassador Andras Simonyi, Managing Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations
